But last night Walters tweeted a picture of himself in hospital wearing surgical stockings, seemingly ahead of an operation, and said: ‘Devastated..but it is what it is! I don’t look too bad in tights!!’

Jonathan Walters (Image: Getty Images Europe)

Burnley boss Sean Dyche explained: "He went to see a specialist with a tiny split in his cartilage. It’s not even a tear, it’s not serious, but has to be taken care of.

”They thought it best to keyhole it and deal with it.

”It’s the same knee he’s been building up, and it’s unfortunate for him and us, especially with the amount of injuries we’ve picked up."

Walters had only just returned from an injury to the same knee which had him sidelined since August.

ChronicleLive understands that this latest injury has led to Sunderland ending their interest in the former Stoke City and Ipswich Town frontman.

Sunderland also saw another of their targets, Liverpool’s teenage Wales international Ben Woodburn, fall through today, with Reds boss Jurgen Klopp deciding against allowing him out on loan, following Phillipe Coutinho’s £142m move to Barcelona.

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Sunderland Transfer News

With top scorer Lewis Grabban having been allowed to cut short his loan spell at the beginning of the month to return to Bournemouth, and with wantaway frontman James Vaughan having been sold to League One leaders Wigan Athletic last week, Sunderland do not have any senior strikers in their squad.

They had to rely on Academy product Josh Maja to lead the line at Cardiff City last week, with fellow teenager Joel Asoro coming off the bench.

Coleman said after that game that Sunderland had to recruit at least one striker before this weekend’s crucial relegation clash at home to Hull City but at present there seems little prospect of having a new signing in place in time to face the Tigers.